Millions of people who take medication regularly are at a higher risk of death due to common mistakes, experts warn.
Doctors estimate that hundreds of thousands of patients die each year because they fail to follow treatment plans for health conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease.
This includes skipping dosages or taking them incorrectly to more or less than directed.
The consequences of doing so can be life-threatening and may require more dramatic and expensive treatment, or death.
It is estimated that failing to follow a medication regimen will cost the NHS £930 million each year, as it is technically known as “non-adherence.”
A new warning about this issue is now being issued by the cardiovascular health awareness group The World Heart Federation (WHF).
The organization estimated that in countries like the UK, only half of patients with chronic or long-term conditions would properly follow the prescribed treatment.
It argued that this would lead to an increase in hospitalizations of 200,000 patients per year in Europe, health outcomes and deaths.
Millions of Britons taking regular medications are at a higher risk of death due to common mistakes, experts warn
Jagat Narula’s WHF President, said medical science must do more to help patients stick to treatment plans.
“The reasons for non-compliance are complex, from stigma and barriers to communication to barriers to financial constraints — and we have to act now,” he said.
The WHF estimated that increasing compliance rates in the EU from 50% to 70% over a decade could save 330 million euros (£275 million, $356 million).
Research also suggests that helping patients to follow treatment plans can save lives.
One study from China showed that heart attack patients following doctor orders accurately reduced the likelihood that another cardiovascular emergency would be reduced by 39%.
To raise awareness of this issue, the WHF has launched Global Compliance Day.
Professor Narula said, “Treatment does not stop at the clinic.”
“On World Compliance Day, we intend to ignite global dialogue and invoke movements to adhere to healthcare priorities worthy of universal commitment, including medicine, healthier living, and follow-up care.”
British studies suggest that patients with chronic illnesses often struggle to follow medication regimens.
An estimated two-thirds of asthma patients and about half of schizophrenia patients have been found to follow a “optimal” medication regimen.
Another study found that compliance in patients taking antidepressants fell from over 95% to just 53% within a month of prescription.
The NHS initiative, which provides patients with regular advice from pharmacists about prescribed medication, increases compliance to 70%.
The reasons why patients struggle to take medication may vary.
The destructive nature of conditions such as depression and schizophrenia can make next treatment planning difficult.
On other occasions, patients who have suffered negative side effects from medication simply stop taking it without discussing alternatives.
